


The Game Plan

by EzraTheBlue



Series: Over The Moon [6]
Category: Saiyuki
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Japan, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Good Dad Gojyo, Just a little angst, Kid Fic, M/M, Single Parents, rated for language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-03
Updated: 2019-04-03
Packaged: 2020-01-01 08:04:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,474
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18331976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EzraTheBlue/pseuds/EzraTheBlue
Summary: After having his world shaken, Gojyo regroups for the sake of his daughter, and prepares to face a threat he'd thought would never rear its ugly head. Luckily, he knows how to face almost any problem.





	The Game Plan

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lepetiterik](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lepetiterik/gifts).



> Happy birthday to LePetitErik, who, if memory serves, loves this AU. 
> 
> For the uninitiated, this fic is very much a direct continuation of the last one in the series. Never a better time to get caught up than the present, right? ;D
> 
> Enjoy!

**The Game Plan**

Gojyo had figured out really early on, like, from day one of being a single father, that Hanabi needed a routine. His precious baby girl needed a game plan, and he was in charge of the game plan.

When she was one, he programmed a schedule on his cell phone, breakfast, diaper, bath, play, lunch, diaper, nap, so on and so forth to make sure his baby ate every three hours and got her diaper every two. He was good at remembering the fun parts, but he was hardly eighteen and he needed to be reminded what to do sometimes, so he made sure he reminded himself and kept his phone charged.

When Hanabi was two, he’d marshal her around the kitchen like a parade leader as he got her ready to go out, chanting their “let’s go to Uncle's house” song: “Hair combed!”

“Haiw comb!”

“Tie the shoes!”

“Tai ma shoe!”

“Three toys, one two three!”

“Thwee!” Hanabi would grab her favorites and join him at the door, and Gojyo would whistle a jaunty tune all the way to the bus stop, marching her right along, right until it was time to say “bye-bye” at Jien's door.

At three, Hanabi was reliably pointing at the clock at breakfast time, lunch time, and nap time to cue him. At five, Hanabi knew just how to ready herself for school in the morning, sometimes knew his work schedule better than he did and knew just when to ask about dinner or dessert. Hanabi’s worst tantrums popped up chiefly when her routine got disrupted, when Gojyo got held late at work, when class schedules got mixed around or when something she’d been expecting didn’t happen. Gojyo knew his baby girl needed a schedule.

Today, more than ever. After having her entire world turned upside down when her mother, Banri Hinata, appeared out of whatever hell she'd slunk off to five years ago to take her away from him, Gojyo needed to give his girl some solid ground to walk on.

“Look at that, cupcake,” he found himself saying as he ushered her from her bed, “look what time it is! Time to wash our face and hair before breakfast!” Hanabi, still red-nosed and red-faced from crying herself to sleep and multiple times overnight, with her red hair in a thousand tangles, rolled from under the quilt and stumbled to her feet.

“Don’t wanna, Daddy,” she sniffled, already rubbing her nose. Shinobu sat up in his bed, pouting as Hanabi struggled against Gojyo, as he tried to coerce her into the bathroom. Gojyo steeled himself, and clicked his tongue in a playful manner and ushered her along, walking right behind her like a mother hen guiding her chickies around.

“Aw, no sulking, it’s just how we do, just like every morning.” He scooted her into the hall, trying not to shudder at his own forced cheer. Hakkai glanced up from his morning paper, lips wrenched down, then went to pop some bread in the toaster. “We wash your face and hair, we put on your jumper, Daddy does your braids, we eat breakfast, and we go to school. Just like we always do, just how it always is when we have sleepovers with Hakkai and Shinobu.”

Hanabi had not handled Hinata shattering their routine well. Hanabi had known what to expect out of everything until then. Now, here comes Mama, demanding her baby “back” (as if she’d ever been hers, as if she’d been hers since she’d up and vanished five years ago), and Hanabi had everything she’d thought she knew ripped in half. Now came the threat of ‘no more Daddy,’ the man she had always been able to rely on. She didn’t know what was coming next, so of course she was being contrary. She was resisting any path that might take her somewhere dangerous or scary, where she didn’t know what might happen next. She was scared.

“All done,” Gojyo announced, sing-song with a facsimile of his usual pride and cheer, as he finished tying off her braids. Hanabi was still sniffling and fidgeting with the buttons on her uniform blouse. “Just like always, baby girl. We’re gonna eat breakfast and go to school, and then Daddy and Hakkai come pick you up.”

Hakkai was waiting at the breakfast table, toast made and spread with azuki bean paste and sliced bananas, and poured Hanabi a glass of milk, then pushed her chair in. “Good morning, Hanabi-chan.” Shinobu was already picking apple chunks out of his fruit bowl and mumbled a mulish ‘mornin’, Hana,’ but Hakkai briskly straightened the collar of her blouse then kissed her on the head. “Chin up, alright? I do believe the music teacher was going to give out recorders today, yes? How exciting!”

“Mm,” she sniffled, plucking a few crumbs off of her toast. Gojyo petted her hair.

“We know how you love music, baby girl. It’s gonna be great!” He sat down and picked up his toast slice, taking a big bite to goad Hanabi into actually taking a bite, but Hakkai tutted him.

“Gojyo.”

“Oh, right!” He folded his hands as Hakkai sat again. “ _I_ _tadakimasu_.”

“ _Itadakimasu_ ,” Hakkai and Shinobu echoed, the prayer as much as part of the routine as anything, but Hanabi only mumbled. Gojyo and Hakkai traded a quick look, deciding together not to scold her. It had taken a while for Hanabi to get into her routine the first time. Gojyo had spent six years getting her used to it. Having it torn to pieces in a single night meant it would have to be rebuilt, slowly, carefully, block by block.

Gojyo and Hakkai walked their children to school, holding each others’ hands and each holding their child’s hand in a line of four. If Gojyo held Hanabi’s hand a little tighter as they crossed the road, she didn’t notice. If Hakkai noticed, then Gojyo was sure he was squeezing his hand right back.

Gojyo helped Hanabi take her shoes off, even as Son-sensei hovered. The kid had seen Hanabi’s misery, plain as day, the second she’d entered the room, and was clearly waiting to ask after her, so Gojyo motioned for him to come close as he sent her off to sit.

“We had a really bad afternoon. She wasn’t able to do her homework, and I wrote a note for her. She’s still not okay and I have no idea when she’s gonna be okay. You mind getting me five minutes in the hall with Asshole-sensei?”

Hakkai had the good sense to keep his distance waiting for Gojyo, as Gojyo hovered outside the door. Sanzo-sensei burst out after a few minutes and shut the door hard behind him. “It’s Sanzo, thank you very much, do not make the student teacher repeat foul language in the classroom.” He crossed his arms. “What the hell do you want?”

“Hanabi’s mother showed up out of the blue yesterday.” Gojyo set his shoulders back. “I’m guessing the school’s gotten calls from the rotten bitch.”

“Language.” Sanzo’s face tightened. “Was that her mother?”

“Yeah.”

“I tried to warn you.”

“And I didn’t listen, fuck, I’m sorry, but I don’t think it’d’ve helped.” Gojyo grimaced, head hung. “So.”

“So?”

“I need you to back me up a little.” Gojyo carded his fingers back through his hair and tried to recall what Hakkai had told him to say: “I need you to not release Hanabi to anybody except me. I also need to know what forms I need to fill out so we can make it so nobody but me or Hakkai can pick her up. She can’t leave with anyone but me or anyone I explicitly authorize.”

Sanzo’s eyebrows bounced with surprise. He glanced back to Hakkai, then nodded. “Family and Friend pick-up authorization forms are at the front office. I’ll make a special note at the office and spread the word that until further notice, nobody but Sha Gojyo is allowed to remove Sha Hanabi from the premises without permission.”

“Good.” Gojyo felt a swell of relief. “Until the rotten bitch puts in court papers otherwise, that’s the game plan. Anyway, I told Saru-sensei, but she’s not handling this so well, so try and treat her like normal. I think she needs stuff to be normal.” Sanzo gave a jerky nod, and Gojyo nodded back. “Call me if you need anything.”

Sanzo nodded again, and Gojyo left, but he could have sworn Sanzo muttered, “Good man,” as he rejoined Hakkai. Hakkai took his hand.

“I heard what he said. I’ll pick the form up on our way out and fill it out today.”

“Good. Thanks.” Gojyo sighed with relief, and let himself sag against Hakkai. “So, you and me got the rest of the game plan?”

“Absolutely. I’ve already called my lawyer, I’ve set you an appointment for eleven. We’ll stop at your brother’s house for the documents on the way over. I’ve got work I can take with me, since this will be chiefly between you and your lawyer, even though I will be paying the fees.”

“Thank you.” Gojyo sagged a little more, already relieved. “I dunno what I’d do without you.”

“I’m certain you’d manage it.” Hakkai laced their fingers as they came close to the office. “You were alright before me, after all.”

“Alright’s one thing. Good’s what we got.” Gojyo gave Hakkai’s hand a squeeze. “But we got a plan, and we’re gonna get there, right?”

“Absolutely, dear.” Hakkai kissed his brow, then parted from him to go into the office. Gojyo waited, running through the plan in his head again, under cheeks warmed by a kind kiss.

In some ways, he was still that same stupid seventeen-year-old kid who needed to block his day out with alarms, alerts, and reminders as signs on his path forward, every step of the day. He still needed to be held together himself sometimes, even at the same time as he was trying to hold someone else together along the way.

* * *

Hakkai’s lawyer’s office was a cozy little suite in a high-rise, two doors separated by a young male secretary in a waiting area lined with comfortable chairs. Gojyo sat tensely in one of the armchairs in the lobby and tried to remember her name as Hakkai set himself up in the lobby with his laptop and plugged his phone in. “I can’t help you very much, unfortunately,” he told him in unusually dulcet tones, “since I have no legal claim to Hanabi. However, I am right here, right behind you, for moral support.” He paused in setting up his workspace to pat Gojyo’s hand. “This is emotional work, and everyone who works here knows how loaded family law is. If you need a moment, just ask.”

“Mr. Sha?” Gojyo saw the receptionist flagging him, then pointing right. “Door on the right. And she’d like to see Mr. Cho, too.”

“Oh!” Hakkai’s eyebrows raised, but he gingerly set his laptop aside. “Perhaps she does remember me.”

The woman behind the desk wore a sharp suit, crisp and tailored for her figure, and she cut an intimidating figure as she rose, tall, slender, statuesque. She had dark hair wound into a taut braid, tanned skin stretched over perfect cheekbones, and she smiled widely as Hakkai entered ahead of Gojyo. “Hakkai.” She reached over her desk and shook his hands firmly. “You’re looking worlds better than the last time we spoke. How’s that boy of yours?”

“Ms. Sharak, you do remember me!” Hakkai’s face crinkled up with the breadth of his smile. “Shinobu’s doing wonderfully. There’s been little motion towards reconciliation, but it’s not a great loss for us. He’ll be six soon, and he’s wonderful.”

“I’m so glad to hear it!” She released his hands, studying his face. Gojyo could see that despite her smile, she had a gaze like a bird of prey and Gojyo was lucky she wasn’t hungry or she’d be going for the entrails. “Shame about - ah, well, that’s your decision. I admit, I was worried when you called.”

“There’s been no trouble.” Hakkai shook his head, then stepped aside and motioned to Gojyo. “Er, my boyfriend. He’s the one who will be signing the agreements, and his daughter is, for lack of a better phrase, at issue.”

Sharak craned her neck around to study Gojyo, and he swallowed hard, feeling very much like a worm under her gaze. Then, she smiled - predatory, but not unkind. “Sha Gojyo, correct?” She held a hand out. “Sharak.”

“Miss Sharak.” Gojyo shook her hand firmly. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Hakkai took the opportunity to step back and depart towards the door, and Gojyo scarcely heard it shut as Sharak motioned for him to sit down.

“Do you have a photograph of your daughter?”

“Huh?” Gojyo found himself caught up short as Sharak lounged back in her chair. “Well, yeah, I do, but-”

“May I see?” She extended her hand, palm up this time. Gojyo hesitated, but dug in his wallet and took out the school photograph of Hanabi he kept tucked in there. Sharak studied the photo, and suddenly, her face was kind. “Beautiful girl. She looks very much like you, and such a beautiful smile.” She handed the photograph back to Gojyo, and motioned for him to take a seat in the chair across from her. “Alright. Now I know who I’m fighting for. Tell me everything.”

Gojyo had never felt so goddamn inspired by a _lawyer_ in his life.

“So, once upon a time, I was sixteen and drunk, and I hooked up with a girl at a party. A few months later, I get a pissed off phone call from the same girl, who I’d talked with maybe four or five times before we slept together, and have to rewrite my universe because I’m about to be a dad…”

Gojyo did, in fact, tell her everything. He told her he'd tried to make things work for Hanabi's sake, but that Hinata was unaffectionate and sometimes outright cruel. He admitted to cheating on Hinata while they were together, and admitted as much to himself that he’d felt hopeless and lonely when he was trying to make things work with her. He told her about how Hinata left before Hanabi could remember, and he took over as full-time dad and provider. He had brought tax documents with lists of his employers, courtesy of Jien (because like hell if he had kept all that), and all of Hanabi’s school records (dug out of the box where he kept all of her report cards, because he didn’t throw a single one out), showing his employment and her school progress. “I can call her doctor for all those reports, too, vaccination records, health, every ear infection, every sniffle. I took her any time I didn’t know what to do, ‘cause she’s my baby and I can’t stand to see her hurt.” Then, he explained the events of the previous day:

“Hinata Banri shows up on my doorstep and demands ‘her baby’ back. I think I almost puked.” Gojyo squeezed his brow. “Hanabi comes up while I’m trying to tell her we need to talk about stuff and get it organized, but Hinata just wants me to shove her life into a suitcase and just, hand her over, right there. She said I ruined her life, so she wanted to ruin mine back, and she tells Hanabi…” Gojyo had to swallow twice. “Hana… She hears her mother, who she doesn’t even know, saying she’s gonna come _get_ her, like the Wicked Witch in that Oz movie, and now my baby girl’s been crying for eighteen fucking hours.”

“Hm.” Sharak was not smiling at all, mouth drawn into a thin line, hands laced on her desk. Her knuckles were slate white. “And she demanded of you…”

“Alimony. Because shitty dads have to pay it to moms.” Gojyo clenched the arms of his chair. Sharak inhaled slowly.

“Off the record: what a cunt.” Sharak rolled her shoulders back and resettled herself. “With that established, on the record, I will request you avoid bad-mouthing your daughter’s mother to her or anywhere she could hear. That could give her ammunition to suggest that you are deliberately attempting to sabotage their relationship, which could be framed as a form of emotional abuse if your daughter’s mother does in fact charge a relationship with her daughter. Which, based on her statements to you, she will likely strive to do.”

“I never talked shit about my ex, not until last night, and that was nowhere Hana could hear it.” Gojyo rubbed his brow. “I always figured, if Hana did someday wanna meet her mom, I’d help her look her up and get in contact, and decide for herself how she feels about her. I always wanted to think Hinata … I dunno, maybe she just got overloaded, like that postpartum depression thing and the stress of raising a baby got to her, and it got to be too much. I kinda wanted to forgive her. Then she actually came back.”

“So she did. And quite frankly, that shouldn’t make a difference.” Sharak pulled a sour face. “Five years out of her daughter's life with no efforts to make contact? Have you changed your phone number?”

“No, but she did.” Gojyo raised an eyebrow. “You need phone records? I’ll call my company up.”

“Do that.” Sharak whipped open a laptop. “What we’re going to do is file an injunction to have you named sole guardian of your daughter, with evidence that she's had no involvement in her life for five years, formally severing your daughter’s mother’s ties to her based on your concerns over her behavior. I imagine she will fight it.” Sharak’s eyes glimmered, and her teeth gleamed, and Gojyo could see she was ravenous now: out for Banri’s blood. “I imagine we will win.”

“I like your plan, lady. I’ll do everything I can to help you.” Gojyo pumped his fists. “Just tell me what to do, where to sign, ask me anything you need. I’m down.”

“Good.” Sharak smirked. “Get me your phone records, have them faxed to me." She harrumphed as she returned her attention to her computer. "No contact in five years and she dares show up demanding _her_ daughter…”

Oh, Gojyo liked Sharak. He liked this plan, and he liked where this was going. He opened his cell and settled in to begin digging the trenches.

* * *

Four hours of lawyering later, Sharak had nearly gotten her motion drafted. They’d only stopped working for a quick lunch and for Gojyo to get one good hug from Hakkai. However, Gojyo couldn’t stay: “I really appreciate all you’ve done, but I promised Hana I’d pick her up from school, and she kinda needs Daddy right now.”

“Go.” Sharak shooed him off. “I’ll keep working on this and email you a copy. Review it tonight and I’ll file it in the morning with your approval.”

“My queen.” Gojyo beamed, and Sharak gave him a fierce little grin.

“None of that. Go fetch your daughter.” Sharak was pleasant like a well-sharpened knife, efficient, formidable, and lovely in all the right ways. Gojyo loved it.

“I'll be seeing you again soon.” He bowed a little, then pivoted for the door. Hakkai had obviously only just finished packing his supplies, but he gave Gojyo a welcoming smile and rose to join him.

“You look satisfied.”

“Well, we ain't victorious yet, but everything's going to plan so far.” He took Hakkai's hand as they left the office and headed for the elevator. “My baby girl ain't going anywhere. Ms. Sharak's gonna see to it.”

“It'll be an uphill battle,” Hakkai agreed, then squeezed Gojyo's fingers. “But you're clearly ready to fight.”

“It's like that song, yeah? ‘Love is a Battlefield?’” Gojyo chuckled and tangled his fingers with Hakkai's a few different ways as they waited for the lift. “We just gotta avoid the landmines and we can get this.”

“Indeed. I'm proud of you for facing this head-on.”

“It's what I do.” Gojyo shrugged and looped his arm around Hakkai's as they stepped into the elevator. “I see a problem, I do what I have to to make it right.”

“It's a good plan.” Hakkai put his hand over Gojyo's, and Gojyo closed his eyes a moment to revel in Hakkai's appreciation and reassurance.

They had a good plan, and that was something in which Gojyo could take real solace.

* * *

Hanabi had been very quiet all day, and Goku, though he'd only known her a day, had instantly figured out that this was very out of character for her, both from everything he'd seen in that one day, and from how her classmates were treating her. All the girls kept asking her, “what's wrong, what's wrong?” Hanabi wasn't answering them, shaking her head with her lower lip wiggling. He'd asked Sanzo what had happened, but Sanzo had simply said, “My concerns proved true. Treat Hanabi like normal, and make certain that she is returned to her father directly.”

Based on Sanzo's suspicions about the identity of someone who'd been harassing the school and asking about Hanabi, Goku found himself watching the door, watching the gate on the playground, and watching Hanabi silently sulk and shuffle through the motions of the day. As the day wound down, uneventful but with Hanabi's teary mood unchanged, Goku didn't let up his vigil. Sure, he had other kids to watch, but Hanabi was never far from the corner of his eye. That was probably the only reason he caught Shinobu approach her during indoor free play at the end of the day.

“Hana?” She was sitting against the cubby walls, and Shinobu bit his lip as she fidgeted with the bottom of her braid. “Still not feeling better?” She shook her head, and he sat down next to her. “Is there anything I can do?”

Hanabi shook her head. “Can you make her go away?”

Shinobu bit his lip. “Um … I can try.”

“But she's a grown-up.” Hanabi shook her head. “And she's a mommy.”

“Nu-uh. You said yesterday, you don't have one. Just like I don't have one.” He scooted close to her as she wrapped her arms tight around her knees. “And that's okay, ‘cause we have us. Daddy said I had a Mommy, but she's gone, and if she ever comes back, well, it doesn't matter.” He hung his head. “She didn't take care of me like Daddy does. Mommies have to take care of you, right?”

“Mm.” Hanabi scrunched her nose. “She said she was…”

“Grown-ups lie sometimes,” Shinobu mumbled, glowering at his feet. “Like when Daddy says he's not gonna work late but he's still up when I wake up in the middle of the night.”

“I guess.” Hanabi fidgeted with the bottom of her braids. “I don't want her to _get_ me.”

“Your Daddy said she wouldn't, and _your_ Daddy doesn't lie.”

Hanabi finally cracked a smile. “Yeah.” Shinobu took her hand.

“It's gonna be okay. You'll see.”

Just then, Goku heard the classroom door burst open, and a woman in a scanty dark halter top, distressed denim shorts, and bottle-blonde hair in a pixie cut sauntered in. Goku didn't recognize her, but from Hanabi's gasp, he knew exactly who that was. He jumped up from the tea party and planted himself between Hanabi and the stranger. Her face flashed with an ugly sneer, before she pasted on a smug smirk. “Hiya, Sensei. I'm just here to get my daughter. Am I early?”

“By a few minutes, sorry. However, if you go to the office, they can check you out.” Goku could hear Hanabi scrambling to hide in the cubby behind the raincoats and shoes, and Shinobu hissing that he'd ‘keep her away.’ The woman pouted, as sickly sweet as aspartame and cyanide.

“Aw, all that paperwork? C'mon, let me take my Hanabi, she's missed me while I was away.”

“I'm afraid,” Sanzo interrupted as he approached from the front of the room in four long strides, “Nobody is authorized to remove Sha Hanabi from this room but her father.”

The woman's eyes sparked, and Goku noticed her cant forward, displaying ample cleavage. “But I'm her _mother._ You can't just help me out?”

Sanzo looked down at her chest, and Goku's heart jumped into his throat. Then, Sanzo pointed at her chest. “You don't have a visitor's sticker.” His voice was remarkably even for a man staring down a woman's cleavage. “Go sign in at the office or I'm calling security.”

The woman huffed, but Goku heard the door opening again as more parents arrived, and he shifted to put himself between the children and this woman. Goku could still hear her hissing like a snake as other parents greeted their children and as more went to collect their bags so they could go to the bus. “Listen, asshole-”

“Language.”

The woman just sneered and spat, “I am not leaving this room without my daughter.”

“You're wrong. You're leaving this room with me. Son-sensei, handle the pickup.” Then, to Goku's surprise, Sanzo made to force the woman to turn around, but she swiped at him. Sanzo reacted in a snap and put her in an arm bar, as easily as a mousetrap released and latched down on its prey. The woman squawked and struggled as Sanzo forced her back into the hall, and Goku turned around to the cubbies.

“She's gone,” he told Shinobu, smiling and hoping Hanabi could hear his reassurance. “Your Dad said to make sure only he could pick you up.”

“He sure did!” Goku jerked up and wanged his head on the cubby roof as Gojyo spoke behind him, but whipped around to see him waiting, hands tucked in his pockets and a tired smile in place. “Is my favorite girl hiding in the coats?”

Hanabi peeked her head out, then tumbled headlong into Gojyo's legs. “You came! She didn't get me!”

“I told you, short stack.” Gojyo scooped her up and kissed her face. “Just like always.” He kissed her forehead a few times. “We comb our hair, we tie our shoes, we say bye-bye at the door, and after school, Daddy picks you up and we go home. I'll let you know if we got any special plans.”

Hanabi hugged onto Gojyo's chest tight, as Hakkai arrived and greeted Shinobu: “You're looking daring today. Did you do well?”

“Yeah.” Shinobu crossed his arms. “I'm keeping Hana safe!”

“Brave boy.” Hakkai smiled wanly, then made to help Shinobu put his shoes on. “But let's leave the grown-up business to the grown-ups.”

Goku kept himself between Gojyo and the door as Hakkai and Gojyo got their children ready to go, shoes on, hats on, bags on their backs. Gojyo scooped Hanabi up again, and she hugged onto his neck as he emerged into the hallway with her. Sanzo was still trying to restrain Hinata, and Gojyo's mouth tightened, but he put on a restrained smile as he passed. She lunged for him.

“Damn it, Gojyo! Gimme my baby and everything you owe me!”

“Hi, Ms. Banri.” He took a deep breath and held Hanabi a little tighter. “Uh, so, we're not holding court about that here. You're gonna have to talk to my lawyer. Or have your lawyer talk to my lawyer, whatever. If Hanabi's gonna visit you, it's gonna be planned out.”

“Visit?!” She turned red. “Don't give me that shit!”

“Hey, watch that mouth in front of the kids. But yeah. Hanabi needs a stable plan, ‘cause this is new for her, and I don't want my little girl to not know what's going on.”

Banri finally broke through Sanzo's hold and stormed towards him. “You asshole, you-”

“Nope. Not doing this. Lawyer.” Gojyo hitched Hanabi up his chest. “Say bye-bye for now, Hanabi.”

Hanabi didn't say anything, but buried her face in Gojyo's shoulder as Banri stomped her foot. “Fine! Expect my lawyer to be on your ass tomorrow!”

“Cool. Bye,” Gojyo deadpanned, as Hakkai followed him out, squeezing Shinobu’s hand. He turned to Hanabi as they got to the door and spoke in a voice just for her: “Daddy's here, just like always.”

“Thank you,” she squeaked, clinging to him tight.

The rest of the night went just like every night did: they did homework together, Hakkai made dinner, Gojyo read the kids stories until they were tired, and then they put them to bed at eight thirty, sharp. Hanabi almost seemed like herself again when Gojyo combed her braids out, smiling around a mouthful of toothpaste and hugging his leg as he walked her to bed. He tucked her into her bedroll, cozy and snug, then stroked her hair as Hakkai finished putting out clothes for the next day.

“Today was okay, wasn't it, short stack?” She nodded, and he wove his fingers through her hair. She was so beautiful. (She looked nothing like her mother.) “I'm gonna do my best, but sometimes, things might change. They might have to.”

“Daddy…” She gripped his sleeve, but he shushed her and smoothed her hair back.

“Not all change is bad, baby. Like going to school instead of the sitter, or coming to Hakkai's place instead of going home.” Hanabi whimpered, and Gojyo felt her whine like a drill to his heart. As if he could pretend any change that might come of this was good. “Daddy'll tell you if things change, okay? But we got this. We got a plan.”

“Thank you, Daddy. Love you. “

“Love you too, starshine.” He kissed her on both cheeks and eased her down, then glanced over to Hakkai. Hakkai was drawing the covers up around Shinobu, and motioned for them to switch. Gojyo went to Shinobu's side and fluffed his hair. “You were a big help today, champ. Sweet dreams.”

Shinobu smiled as he rolled into his pillow, and Hakkai and Gojyo tiptoed out and shut the door. When the door shut, Hakkai turned and kissed Gojyo on the mouth. “You were brilliant as well, you know.”

Gojyo chuckled sheepishly, but sagged into Hakkai's arms. “Just doing what I have to. When it's important, I don't miss a beat.”

“You faced it all bravely, and carried our plan out with such acumen. I'm impressed with you, Gojyo.” Hakkai squeezed Gojyo's shoulder, eyes gleaming. “Please take the compliment.”

“For you? Sure. It's just, I'm used to having a plan.” He jerked his head at the bedroom door. “So is she. When I actually make a plan and stick to it, everything usually ends up okay. It’s when I go off half-cocked or when my plans get thrown off, that's when things get funky.”

Hakkai chuckled and escorted Gojyo to the sofa. “Certainly. It's the same for me. All the same, you're handling better than I would have.”

“No way.”

“I was a mess when it came to organizing Shinobu's guardianship. I learned, of course, and I'm glad you had a chance to apply my lessons.” He shifted as they sat, almost climbing into Gojyo's lap. “I know it's unfair to put any pressure on you, but can I ask one more change of you?” Gojyo hummed curiously, and Hakkai took his hand. “Move in with us?”

The hair on the back of Gojyo’s neck stood up, and he whipped around on Hakkai, agape. “Wait, what?”

“It’s j-just.” Hakkai swallowed, and Gojyo realized this was a change for him, too. “You’re here so often, more often than you’re home. Perhaps it was meant to be something special, but it’s become so near to routine anyway, I don’t see a reason to maintain the illusion that either of us want to part at the crossing and not spend the evening as a family.”

Family. Gojyo tasted his heart when Hakkai said that.

“And besides.” Hakkai lowered his eyes. “Miss Banri evidently knows your apartment. And besides even that, Shinobu loves you dearly, and Hanabi - she needs both of us. And besides even _that_ -”

“Babe.” Gojyo took both of his hands and held them tight. When Hakkai lifted his face, Gojyo leaned in and kissed him again. “You don’t gotta tell me twice. How about I move in with you because our family ought’a live together?”

Hakkai flushed pink, but he leaned into Gojyo’s chest. “Yes, certainly. That was always the idea.”

They held each other a moment longer. A spontaneous indulgence. Plans were good but sometimes, surprises could be even better. They could get back to the plan soon, read the legal documents, prepare for the fight ahead, but Gojyo needed more than just sure footing to hold himself together. He needed this hug, and he needed to know there was more than just one foot in front of the other.


End file.
